Twin wheel control



S. E. ANGELL TWIN WHEEL CONTROL Filed Feb. 2, 1,942-

Nav. 3o, 1943..`

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 'SWW/m I immun E. AT1

HBH

Patented Nov. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TWIN WHEEL CONTROL Stanton E. Angell, Dearborn, Mich. i Application February 2, 1942, Serial No. 429,270

7 Claims.

This invention relates to control compensation as to selected rotary member, more particularly between a pair thereof.

This invention has utility in differential control, more particularly for the rotation drive to be effective through an intermediate wobbler element to act on the lagging ground wheel.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a medial section, with parts broken away, through a twin wheel assembly such as may be adopted in live ground or traction wheels of a motor truck;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line II-II, Fig. 1, showing parts in section of the inter-wheel compensator or connector herein;

Fig. 3 is a view on the line III-IL Fig. 2, as developed, showing the wobbler in common transmitting relation for the pair of wheels;

Fig. 4 is a view of the wobbler, wherein the wheel or relatively rotary member at the right in Fig. 4 is overrunning and the wobbler or intermediate connector is thereby shifted into pick-up or transmitting relation to the wheel or relatively rotating or driven member at the left;

Fig. 5 is a view of the wobbler similar to Fig. 4 but with the reverse or lefthand member as the overrunning one, and the right being in the transmitting relation; and

Fig. 6 is a reversal or counter for opposite functioning of the wob-bler to that of Fig. 3.

Tubular axle or support I has thereon antifriction bearings 2, 3, mounting sleeve 4 having connection by bolts 5 with head 6 of live axle l, thereby controlling for transmission to the sleeve 4. The sleeve 4, remote from the head 6, has iixed therewith flange 8 carrying brake drum 9, with which may cooperate outer frictional brake I8 and inner frictional brake I I. Thrust bearing i2, as adjacent packing and the anti-friction bearing 2, and shield I3 about the tubular axle or suppo-rt I are to minimize disturbance from foreign matter. This member or sleeve 4 is accordingly rotatable relatively to the support I and may serve through the live shaft 'l to drive, or from the brake drum 3 to oppose driving operation.

This sleeve 4 (Fig. 2) has key or seat portions I4, into which may be seated ring I5 (Fig. 1), in the control herein spacing inner hub portion I6 from outer hub portion Il. The inner hub portion I5 is rotatably mounted on the sleeve 4 and has wheel disk I8 therefrom to carry rim I9, say for mounting a pneumatic tire. Hub portion Il has Wheel web 29 therefrom to rim portion 2l for mounting additional pneumatic tire 22 in parallelism with the tire on the rim I9. Packing 23 may serve to reduce entrance of foreign matter from between the relatively rotatable wheels having the webs I8, 2B, as such through their axles I6, I1, may tend to rotate on the sleeve 4. Bolts 24 mount hub cap 25 to shield this twin wheel section on the free or outboard side thereof. These hub portions I6, I'l, therebetween form a chamber 26.

The ring I5 (Fig. 4) provides semi-circular concave seats 2l centrally thereof and spaced to form pocket 28 therebetween, in which is located wobbler 29. This wobbler 29 has semi-circular termini 39, 3|, of configuration at straight midposition to register as to one thereof with a seat 2l. From center 32, in which the seats 30, 3|,

are formed, there is radius line 33 determiningv an arc 34 for wobbler lug 34 as adapted to ride on side wall 35 of notch or seat 36 of the hub I'l. Opposed thereto the hub I6 has notches 36 with side walls 35 thereto. Mounted by screws 3l with the ring I5 is plate 38 over the pocket or clearance 28, thereby tending to conceal or hold the wobbler 29 against displacement. This platel 38 has central longitudinal opening 39 (Fig. 3). Protruding through this opening 39, posts 4i) fixed with the wobbler 29 carry spring 4I, which in medial position for the wobbler extends in centrally straight position to posts 42, 43. The post 43 has key or locking means 44 to hold this strap spring 4I against displacement in this flex permitting set-up. It is to be noted that this spring 4I is yieldable means tending normally to hold this wobbler centralized so that at least the terminal portions of the arc faces 34 of the wobbler lugs 34 ride against the wall 35 not only of the hub Il but of the hub I6. Under normal transmission or normal response to braking, this is the common connector relation, the transmission pcsitionbeing say as shown by the arrows in-Fig. 3, with the ring I5 effecting the driving from the seat 2l as against the complementary seat 39 of the wobbler as the wobbler is medial. In the reverse direction or with the brakes applied, the ring direction of action would be converse to that of Fig. 1 (Fig. 3), and the opposite end 3| of the wobbler would be the one functioning between the ring I5 and the wobbler 29. There is accordingly in this connector a shiftable control adaptable automatically for uniform functioning between the two relatively rotatable members of the pair, herein dual wheels.

This compensation is to an extentfor acting upon the less responsive member of the pair. In

braking this would apply to the faster rotatingY wheel. In transmission it would apply to the wheel that was not overrunning or lagging. This selection is automatic for either of the pair. A control in this regard may be taken as the angle of friction between the arc face 34 and the opposing face 35. Such angle of friction, being the normal holding, is further opposed by the tendency of the spring 4| to resist flexing out of normal. Accordingly, there may be cooperation in this holding for friction to resist the spring. The functioning arises when there is sufficient unbalancing or out-of-step relation between the hubs I6, Il, to have the wedge action of the sur face 35 act as a cam and, against the resistance of spring 4|, move the wobbler 29 to suchex-V tent that the relatively advancingznember, say4 I6 (Fig. 4) may continue its overrunning, and as so functioningr maintain its camming action toA thrust the opposite lug 34 fully into a seat 36.01 the member l1. cient position to retain its activity in pulling the hun I'l-for pick-up, and-such is maintained -for allowing theV relative rotation therebetween. This could be a dividen-action in a torque tube asgbetween differentials, serve, as a diierential, o r as localizedfor the compensation in a pair as Ra twin wheel. or dual wheel construction.1 In the event the hub I1 has ,tendency to overrun or exceed in the direction of control, the transmission or retard-ation of the direction for the ring l5, there is oscillation of the wobbler or annular series of wobblers. carried by the ring from theposition as effecting transmission from the ring. I5` to the hub, I1 asfrom theY ring Yl5 to the hubl (Fig. 5). In thi-s wobble, action ofthe member 29, it does not have longitudinal shifting relative to the ringas. there is ,common direction'ior rotation. However, in reversal of such direction, the clearance, between the seat. 21 at one end and the seat 21 -atthe opposite end is such that the seat 30. clearsxas the opposite seat 3|' enters forthe wobbler29. toV respond in reversing theexing direction for the springAl (Figs. 4,5).

Under the disclosure` herein, thereis accordingly a-control effective between apair of rotary members to permit relative rotation therebetween independently of losing: control., This.,.does not allow one membensay as freely rotating` orspinning, to disturb all control. action. It does allow one member to run or spinl providing such be not inV the direction for control, that-is.if it be in the direction sought to propel, or be stopped in the direction sought to` apply the brake. There is thus at all times in this controlan eiective positioning of this ring tol do. with'thev behindaction member, afservice promoting trait. Accordingly, the lagging member or Wheel is the one to which the transmission action is effected, whether such be a transmission for speeding ahead to catch up with the overrunning wheel, or a pulling down toward stop when 'the other wheel has stopped'.

In addition to the-packing adjacent the shield` i3', there is dust excluding packing 4:5 between, E

the-ange 8 andthe 'hubv I6.y These hubs 16 l1,

are retained assembledon vthe-sleeve 4. by thrust Washer 46 as adjustedthereagainst by nut 41.

What is claimed-and; is desredto. secure by- Letters YPatent is.:

1. A'support providing bearings, a pair of rotatable members mounted on the support at the,`

bearings, and rotation` control means between the support and members including `a connector The wobbler 29 is thus in eis therebetween normally set for effecting common drive operation of the members, and inter-member disturbance means selectively disconnecting the connector from both members for sole coaction upon one member.

2. A support providing bearings, a pair of rotatable members mounted on the support at the bearings, :and rotation control means between the support and members including a connector therebetween, and a spring responsive to intermember disturbance to shift the connector and normally positioning the connector for common transmitting operation between the members and against clearway from one thereof.

3. A support providing bearings, a pair of rotatable members mounted on the support at the bearings, rotation control means between the supportand members including a wobbler therebetween, said members having seats to be engaged by the wobbler, and a mounting upon l which Ythe 4wobbler is movable, said mounting includingaspring normally holding the wobblerl i tatable members mounted on the support atthe bearings, rotation control means between the support and members including a wobblertherebetween, and a pivotal mounting upon which the wobbler is movable responsive to automatic rotation control direction, said members having seats, said mounting including Aspring means lfor-holding the wobbler normally cooperating for meshing with the seats of the different members.

5.- Asupport providing bearings, a pair of rotatable members mounted on the support at the bearings, rotation control means between the support and members including a wobbler therebetween, and a pivotal mounting device upon` which the wobbler is movable from inter-member disturbance to disconnect the wobbler'from the nember tending to overrun the con-trol for rotaiorr.l

6. A support providing bearings, a pair of rotatable members mounted on the support at the bearings, rotation -control means between the support and members including a wobbler there-- between, and a mounting upon whichthe wobbler is movable from inter-member disturbance to disconnect-the wobbler fromthe member most responsive to -brakeoperation,v a bnake,Y said members having seats, said mounting including a spring normally cooperating for common meshing relation Vof the wobblerfwithsaid yseatsy in both ofthe members, saidV brake being effective through said mounting and spring to connect theV wobbler tothe member tending to overrunthe control for brake operation.

7. A support providing bearings; a pair of rotatable members mounted onv the support at the bearings, rotationcontrolmeans between thesupport'and'fmembers including a wobbler Ytherebetween, and a mounting upon which the wobblerV ismovable'from inter-member disturbance to disconnect the wobbler' from the member tending'to overrun the control for drive operatiom,said members having seats, said mounting inclu'dingja spring-normally cooperating for'common meshing from the member tending to` overrun Athe control fordrivel opera-tion.

STANTON E. 

